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<\/p>\nGenerally, it is easy for the views and concerns of developing countries and Small Island Developing States to be overlooked at international meetings. However, when a multistakeholder approach is actively encouraged, and there is a framework in which to influence global decisions and also to better position your country for what is to come, such opportunities should not be taken for granted. Here, we discuss how Caribbean countries can better participate in global Internet policy meetings, such as those recently held by ICANN.<\/em><\/p>\n
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Last week, from 25\u201428 June, I had the opportunity to attend the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)<\/a> Policy Forum, also known as ICANN62, which was held in Panama. For those who have not heard of this organisation before, \u201cICANN is a global multistakeholder, private sector organization that manages Internet resources for the public benefit. It is best known for its role as technical coordinator of the Internet\u2019s Domain Name System<\/em>\u201d (Source:\u00a0 ICANN<\/a>).<\/p>\n
Hence, for individuals and countries who are members of the ICANN community, there is an invaluable opportunity to help shape global policies, which undoubtedly are facilitating the evolution of the Internet, be it directly or indirectly.<\/p>\n
Anyone can participate in an ICANN discussion, and there tend to be several consultation processes (on a variety issues) running simultaneously. However, an important constituency, which precipitated the \u2018aha moment\u2019 I shared above, is the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC).<\/p>\n
According to the ICANN website<\/a>, \u201cThe GAC serves as the voice of Governments and International Governmental Organizations in ICANN’s multi-stakeholders representative structure<\/em>\u201d. This group a key participant in the policy development process, as it has a say on virtually all of the public policies that are developed within ICANN, regardless of where they originated within the wider community.<\/p>\n
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Table 1: Caribbean countries that are members of the GAC, and were represented at the GAC sessions at ICANN62 (Source: ICANN, informal onsite observations)<\/p><\/div>\n
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To be fair, it is not cheap to attend these global meetings. Luckily, ICANN62 was held in Panama, but they move to a different location around the world. For example, ICANN\u2019s annual general meeting, ICANN63<\/a>, will be held in Barcelona, Spain, later in the year. So, although there may not be a registration fee to attend many of global policy meetings on ICT and the Internet, such as those organised by ICANN, the travel costs (air fare, accommodation, per diem, etc.) can easily range between USD 2,500 and USD\u00a010,000 per person, per meeting.<\/p>\n
The short answer is yes, as it would seem both counterintuitive and counterproductive to be members of a grouping that we, as countries and SIDS, can influence, and yet not do so. However, when the reality of budgetary constraints, in particular, is considered, how that participation occurs might not be as straightforward as physically attending all of the meetings scheduled in far-flung places around the world. There are options.<\/p>\n
First, at many of the global Internet policy meetings, such as ICANN62, and the upcoming ICANN63, most of the sessions are streamed live, to facilitate remote participation. Hence, although you might not be able to physically present, you can listen and comment, raise your questions and have them answered, just as if you attended in person. However, it means that you still need to block the time in your schedule in order to be available to participate in real time. Alternatively, you can play the recordings at a later and more convenient time, and still add you two cents, as appropriate.<\/p>\n
Second, with policy meetings typically lasting a few days to about a week, much of the actual discussion and policy development work occurs between those meetings in regularly scheduled conference calls and via email. It is in those virtual sessions that members of a particular group, such as the GAC at ICANN, conceptualise and debate the positions that they will eventually take on specific issues. However, in order to access those channels, you may need to register as a member of that group, in order to be in a position to subscribe to the requisite mailing lists and join those conversations.<\/p>\n
Finally, as mentioned earlier, anyone can participate in the policy development process by commenting on the draft policies and documents that are released for consultation. In ICANN, for example, the consultation periods are usually generous, at least 30 days, thus allowing for careful review and consideration of the positions being tabled.<\/p>\n
In summary, although attending meetings face-to-face has its benefits, it ought to be supplemented by participation in the discussions and work that occurs between the meetings. Hence,\u00a0meaningful participation requires time, commitment and consistency by our countries, and the individuals selected to represent us. Moreover, careful consideration and planning are vital, in order to ensure that we can best utilise the opportunity and platforms provided, for us to contribute to, and help shape, global Internet policies that ultimately, affect us all.<\/p>\n
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Image credit:\u00a0\u00a0Backbone Campaign<\/a>\u00a0(flickr)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"